Night-walkers
An Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Fanfiction
Disclaimer: the author claims no ownership for Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls, and pretty much anything you might recognize
Chapter Five: Prophet: Laid to rest
Serana's Hunch was proven correct.
It took them three days to reach Winterhold, having to resort to sailing towards it. the sea of ghosts gradually got colder as they sailed across Skyrim, from West to East. By the time they were in the borders of Winterhold, the cold sea was full of glaciers and frozen rocks, remaining from the mysterious Atmora.
The last day, they hit a blizzard. They, of course, survived if, cold not having an effect on them, but their boat wasn't a vampire, and it was crushed. Fortunately, it crashed near the land. A walk of five hours later, they were at Winterhold.
The city was pretty much nothing more than a ruined village. No more than fifty people lived there, and there was nothing of interest to be seen, apart from a few destroyed houses, a few scorched marks and a dragon's skeleton on the road, a bridge with a strange eye sign on it, and the castle floating in the sky.
Serana pointed at it, "well, I guess that's the shalidor's- the College of Winterhold, not as majestic as I expected" she paused, "let's go say hello"
The two vampires passed the bridge over the chasm, to see a statue of (probably) a mage in the center of a snow-covered courtyard. A female Altmer was waiting there, as soon as she saw them, she said pleasantly, "welcome to the college, what is your business here?"
Before Eradil could say anything, Serana said "we're looking for a particular Scholar. We were told this college has what he needed."
The elf said "oh, right. you want to see Urag then. Follow me, please"
She led them to the largest door in the college courtyard. As soon as they were inside, he led them to a door in the right. "beyond this door is the Arcanaeum. Our library. The master librarian is inside. Trust me, you won't miss him"
Once inside, they were impressed. Even Eradil hadn't seen such a library in anywhere other than Alinor itself, and for Nords to hoard all this knowledge? Perhaps there was a reason everyone mistrusted the college.
What surprised him even more was the master librarian.
In the end of the room, behind a desk full of books, sat a green creature in adept robes. The creature with tusks, talons, and gruff exterior said "not what you expected, huh?" he chuckled, "don't worry. No one enters here without that look the first time."
Then he said, "now, what do you want here?"
Serana said "we're looking for a moth priest"
The Orc, presumably Urag, looked at her, "Then go to the imperial city, obviously. Most of them live in the white gold tower itself. Occasionally, they go out looking for elder scrolls" he paused, "luckily for you, one was around a few days back. Looked in the library for something, and left for the Dragon's Bridge. You might catch him there, if you hurry"
Without a moment of hesitation, the two left the college, using the road to solitude.
After a day, they left the snowy fields of Winterhold to a warmer reach. Taking the road, they passed whiterun's tundra and had a view of the cliffs in the Reach, but in the end, they stopped at the Hjaalmarsh.
The marshes weren't like the rest of Skyrim. Most of it was full of frogs, small snakes, and a lot of trees. While not as dangerous as Winterhold or the Reach, they still had to watch their steps all the time, not to fall in the swamps. All in all, it could be Skyrim's little Argonia.
The road was mostly clear, the occasional travelling bard and courier the only people seen in the wilds, but as they reached the only city in the marshes, they were in for a surprise.
The gates of Morthal were closed.
Eradil and Serana stopped by the gate when a guard yelled from the top of the gate, "HALT!"
Eradil asked "why's the road blocked?" "there's a murderer among the people of the city. We can't allow anyone to leave or enter, until the city's safe again"
Serana cursed, "we really need to pass. Official legion business"
The guard chuckled, "yeah, I'm sure you have an official business to do, but we only take orders from the Jarl."
Eradil sighed, "Then take us to your Jarl. We'll talk with her" the guard looked at his comrade, the two of them entering a silent argument.
Ten minutes later, the guard who'd talked to them said "alright, I'll take you to the Jarl"
He descended to the grounds, climbing down a ladder and opened the gate, and said "no troubles, or it's the dungeons for you"
The two followed the guard to reach a bigger looking house in the city, "this, is the Highmoon Hall. Travelers, enter and speak to the jarl. She's sitting on her throne"
Inside the 'highmoon hall' was like any other mead hall in Skyrim. A big fireplace in the middle, two sets of long tables on the sides. There was a throne on a stone stand, a few steps above the ground.
On the throne sat a very old woman, with nothing on her to show a sign of authority, but with the respect the guards were giving her, she was probably the jarl.
As the two walked towards her, she said "it's not the eyes, but what's within the soul that matters"
Eradil almost gasped. She knows we're vampires. His enhanced senses caught the subtle snickt of claws being unleashed. Serana had thought the same.
The two guards didn't seem to understand her words though, so Eradil calmed down, if only slightly. She said, "now, travelers. What brings you to my hall?" "we wanted to ask you to allow us passage to solitude"
She smiled sadly, "unfortunately, I can't do that. The murderer might escape as you leave.
Serana sighed, "okay, what is this mystery murderer you're talking about?"
"about five days ago, a house burned down. The owner, a woman named Rowena, and a child named Helgi died in the fire. The next day, Rowena's husband, Hroggir, Shacked up with another of our people. Ava"
"how is this a mystery? It's obviously the husband. Just arrest him"
The jarl chuckled, "if only it were that simple. I can't arrest a man without anything but rumors. I need evidence, and the only thing my men found was a note with the black hand on it. in the same day, a bard named Lurbok died in the middle of the day, inside the inn. Of course we thought it was the orc's old age catching up with him, but there were traces of poison in the Bard's mead. We suspect there might be even darker things to be responsible."
Eradil asked, "if I help you, will you let me leave?"
She smiled, "The moment the culprit is found, the roads will open. Please, do return to me if you find any evidence"
Once outside, their first clue was in the burnt house near the gate they'd just entered. the burnt skeleton of the house looked exactly like the one they'd entered the redwater den from, a few days ago. They walked inside.
Nothing was left there. The building was empty, if not for the ash covering the floor.
Serana cursed, "there's nothing here. Let us leave-" when they heard her.
"is anyone there? Ma? Pa? is that you?"
It was the sound of a little girl. Serana looked at Eradil questioningly, before the ran to the source of the voice.
Near the cold fireplace of the destroyed house, a little girl was trying to warm herself. Except she wasn't a kid. She was a ghost, blue ethereal form of a dead child. The kid noticed them, "Who're you? Are you strangers? cause- "she paused, before saying thoughtfully, "ma always says I shouldn't talk to strangers!"
Serana said, in the sweetest voice she could manage, "we're not strangers. I'm Serana. Don't you remember me?"
The girl said "really? I'm Helgi! Will you play with me?" before they could say anything, she said "find me first if you can!"
Before vanishing.
Further questioning of the locals took them almost five hours, and a few hours after the evening, they were directed to the town graveyard. On a cliff that overlooked the burnt house.
When they reached it, they weren't alone. Another woman was up there, this one not giving off the scent of living people.
A vampire. and a feral at that.
She was dead as soon as she noticed them. A spear of ice piercing her heart in a moment. As soon as she fell, the ghost of little Helgi appeared again, "great! You found me!"
She looked at the dead body, "and you found me first! You win"
Eradil said "who was she?" "oh she's just Laelette! She's a friend!"
A VAMPIRE is her friend? They didn't ask it, for she explained, "She was forced to burn our house down. But she didn't want to. So she kissed me goodbye, in the neck. But then the fire…it was so…" a depressed looking Helgi sighed, before vanishing.
A nord with a torch ran towards them, to the fallen vampire, "LAELETTE! NO! what've you done to her?" he asked, pointing his axe towards them. "she was a vampire. we killed her before she could turn another one"
The nord, of course, didn't want to believe that, but the ultra-pale skin and long fangs of the vampire were solid proof. Even for him. "but…I don't understand! Why would she become one of those fiends? And why's she here?"
"what do you mean?" "one day, she left us. I woke to see her side of the bed empty, and her armor and weapons missing. Alva gave me her note later, with no other proof she was ever here" "well, maybe she was turned in her travels"
"I doubt it. she wouldn't've returned here if she was turned in eastmarch, no vampire would return from a cold land to a land this warm"
Well, he was right. Eradil himself wouldn't be here if it wasn't for lord Harkon's Command. "so, she must've turned here" he said, and Serana continued, "and tried to leave, before anyone could notice. Brilliant!" then she asked, "Who was the last one to talk to her?"
"Alva, she was the last one I know, but-NO!" he exploded, "I refuse to believe Alva's a vampire! there's no way you could prove that"
Eradil sighed, "alright. whatever you say." Then he looked at Serana, "hurry up. We must return to the jarl"
As it turned out, the jarl couldn't arrest potential vampires either. "solid proof is all I can use!" as she'd put it.
Alva's house was nothing out of ordinary. Well, apart from having no bed. "where's the bed?" Eradil asked, "Shouldn't a house have one?"
Serana said "our castle doesn't have beds. There are coffins instead-" she paused, and both of them turned to the door down the stairs. "cellar. Maybe there's something there?"
And it was. in a coffin in the cellar of the house, where, no doubt, Alva slept, was a book. A Journal to be exact.
Reading it…well…shed some light into the matter.
As fast as possible, they left to the highmoon hall, where the jarl had almost ended her day of work. She looked at the two detectives. "well, did you find any proof?" "here's all the proof you need"
A minute later, the jarl's reaction was a bit out of character. "that traitorous BITCH! She's dead! And so is this Movarth Piquine!" she fumed, "I know of his lair. A cave a few miles north of the city. We'll gather a few guards and-"
Eradil interrupted, "with all due respect, your guards would stand no chance against Movarth Piquine, my Jarl." He said, "there was a Movarth Piquine in a rather famous book, 'immortal blood', who was a vampire hunter who was turned by a Cyrodillic Vampire. if he's the same man, he'll be centuries old, let us handle this, my jarl. Give us leave to raid his lair and end this threat"
Movarth's lair was exactly where Jarl Idgrod had said it was, and it was filled with ferals. Most of whom were newly-turned, and had no one to teach them how to control their powers.
Eradil cut off a vampire's head, as Serana pierced another's heart with a spike of ice. Raising the vampire's thrall, he followed Serana.
In the far end of the cave, in a room that seemed to be a feast hall, a coven of vampires was sitting around a table.
Another one, looking quite old with his pale face and bald head, sat of a throne.
Serana stopped by the table. "Movarth Piquine, I presume"
He said "That would be me, girl. What's your business here?"
Serana said "I'm from the volkihar court. We're here to purge this cave, before you endanger us with your stupid schemes!"
Movarth narrowed his eyes, "you, a little girl and a puny elf, want to defeat us? Are you out of your mind?" "No, but you're out of time. honestly, what did you expect to happen when you decided you wanted a hold capital as your playground?"
Movarth said "a city less of these annoying mortals. What do you think?"
A nord vampire said "enough with this! You insolent brats will-" she stopped, when Serana's Ice spike shattered her skull.
Three more vampires rose, but Eradil raised his Crossbow and fired, killing one of the vampires, before drawing his ebony sword and summoning the aura of fire.
Fortunately, Mage-fire had no effect on the caster.
After that, it was a massacre. Every vampire, including movarth himself, rose and attacked. By the time he had ran out of magicka, the floor was full of dead bodies, but there were still too many around.
He gave up, and once more, he called upon the ancient blood. That was the second time he transformed.
Harkon was right. EVERYONE feared the vampire lord. And that included the other vampires.
"what in oblivion is that?" "it's Bal himself!" "MERCY!"
He heard none of them, with balls of drain life spells in his right hand, he killed the vampires one by one, felling them with mere spells. The closest ones he killed with his claws. One by one, they fell, and he absorbed their life force and felt stronger than before.
In the end, only Movarth Piquine remained, and even he looked like he'd just soiled his pants.
"wanted to attack your betters now, did you?" he mockingly asked the scared vampire, and then struck his hand forward.
What happened next was unexpected. But welcome anyway.
He expected to raise a dead vampire to fight for him, but instead of a bright blue, his hand was covered in an orange hue, an other-worldly binding of the same color covered the other vampire.
"huh. That's new" he said in a fascinated tone, Serana said "you learned Vampiric Grip that fast?" "so what's what it called…Vampiric Grip" he tested the spell, forcing the Binding to move towards him.
Movarth cried in pain, and moved forward, the spell was draining his lifeblood
By the time he had stopped moving, Movarth piquine, ancient vampire, was dead.
Seeing no other around, he transformed back, and said "yeah. Definitely nothing we can do in public"
He staggered, but caught himself before he could fall down. Trying to clear his head of the voice screaming BLOOOODDDDD! he said "let's inform the jarl about our progress."
"your leach problem is over, my Jarl" he said to the old woman first thing the next day, "Movarth's lair is clear of vampires, but I suggest you set fire to the cave, lest some other vampires settle in-" Serana scoffed, "Please. I bet there's already a vampire inside. You'd do better if you made a pact with them"
"a pact?" asked Jarl Idgrod.
She explained, "this city's got problems. No fortifications, no guards. How many bandits do you face every month?" she chuckled, "if you are able to, you imprison your bandits. They get free food for as long as they're there, and they escape when they're bored. Instead of giving them food, give them to the vampires, as food. And make them defend you if there's a raid"
The Jarl pondered, "what's to say they don't accept, or attack us instead?" "just tell them the court is watching. They'll understand" "so will I say. But there's one more thing. You've done my city a great service," …
Three hours later, Eradil was named Thane of Morthal, with the decree to a land in the Marsh. with an enchanted new blade, and a fancy cloak with the emblem of the Hjaalmarsh on it, Eradil and Serana resumed their travel to Dragon's Bridge
To Be Continued in Prophet: the prophecy
A.N:
Notes:
The state of Winterhold: the city is, in game, a place that dragons attack every time you enter it. it has about 4 guards (two of whom are always in the jarl's hall. So they're basically useless). If you join the College, it gets attacked by magical anomalies once.
in other words, for a 'city' with so few citizens, it is basically a ruin. Considering the College questline happened in this universe (and a story about it might be coming next), it is safe to presume the city would be a ruin.
The great Collapse: lore says a series of storms attacked Winterhold, and ruined most of it, with the college and a few huts remaining. It doesn't say what was the reason of the collapse. But I believe Savos Aren was the reason, or more accurately, the dragon priest he fought. The dragon priest's entrapment caused a great shockwave, one that, mixing with the after effects of the eruption of the red-mountain, caused the collapse. There has to be a reason everyone mistrusts the college so much.
That's it. for now,
See you next time, for the conclusion of this arc, and an interlude, before we enter the actual storyline.
Davoid, signing off.